The People’s Democratic Party has summoned its National Executive Committee meeting to discuss the venue for its national convention. The emergency NEC meeting holds in Abuja later today (Friday). The convention was slated to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on October 6. However, some members of the party had kicked against Port Harcourt, claiming that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike is rooting for one of the presidential aspirants.

I Am Next President — Kwankwaso

A PDP presidential aspirant, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he will be the next President of Nigeria. Kwankwaso, a former Governor of Kano State, made the statement yesterday at the PDP state secretariat in Jos where he went to lobby delegates. Kwankwaso told Plateau PDP Chairman, Damishi Sango, that, “I know there is a conference currently going on in Abuja, and because your relative was coming to Jos, you delegated your deputy to represent you.

President Muhammadu Buhari has chided Nigerian elite for remaining silent in the face of alleged misrule of the country by the People’s Democratic Party between 1999 and 2015. He said while they allowed Nigeria to be mismanaged in 16 years without raising a voice in consternation, they have been accusing him of being too slow. He wondered where those that were considered to be fast got to. According to a statement on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke at a meeting he had with the Nigerian community in the United States of America on Thursday in New York.

APC Governorship Primaries Now Holds Sunday

The National Working Committee (NWC) has again rescheduled the Governorship Primary Election for Sunday, 30th September, 2018.

Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena announced the new date in a statement on September 27.

Subsequent elections are unchanged and are as follows:

2nd October, 2018 – Senate Primary Elections

3rd October, 2018 – House of Representatives Primary Elections

4th October, 2018 – State House of Assembly Primary Elections

6th October, 2018 – National Convention (Presidential)

Flood: Okowa Directs Opening of Schools at Holding Camps

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has directed the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, to organise academic activities for flood-displaced school children taking temporary shelter at the different Holding Camps in the state. Okowa revealed this yesterday during an interactive sessions with the children during a visit to Holding Camps for persons at Oneh and Ogbe-Afor Primary Schools, Asaba. The governor said, :”I have listened to you (children) and your major concern is how to be engaged academically in the camp which is very good, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education is already working on that; it is very important that the children are positively engaged in an organised manner.

Court Summons EFCC Over Freezing Of Benue Govt Accounts

The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State capital, has summoned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and two commercial banks to appear before it over the recent freezing of the Benue State Government accounts. The banks are United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Fidelity Bank. In the writ of summons issued to the defendants, the court has demanded EFCC and the two banks to, within 30 days, state why they carried out their action of freezing Benue State Government accounts.

Oil Price Hits $81.69 Per Barrel

Oil price, yesterday, reached $81.69 per barrel; suggesting that the price may reach $82 per barrel soon in the event that the price continues its upward movement. This followed allegation by United States President, Donald Trump that Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is behind the rise in price of crude for its member state, amid sanctions on Iran by US. The report said the decision by U.S to sanction Iran has sent the oil prices higher, adding that the price would increase further if US refused to lift the sanction.

Ambode Inaugurates Campaign Organisation, Trains Ward Agents

In readiness for Saturday’s direct primary election, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s team has approved specialised training for 1,960 personnel that will serve as agents in all the 245 wards in the constitutionally-recognised 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) where the primary election is expected to take place. This development comes on the heels of the inauguration of the Ambode Campaign Organisation coordinators and offices in the three senatorial districts in the state, with functional outposts across the 20 LGAs.

I Never Knew That My Victim Would Escape – Kidnap Suspect

The Niger State Police Command has apprehended one Shuaibu Abdullahi, 22, for allegedly kidnapping Bello Umar of Vunu Village in the Lavun Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was trailed and arrested by the police detectives attached to Lemu Division on a tip-off. It was learnt the suspect had sometime in August this year invaded the village in collaboration with three other members of his gang who are now at large and kidnapped Umar for ransom.

Teddy Sheringham, Okocha, Others For Kanu Cup In London

The Kanu Heart Foundation, in partnership with Masters Football, will on Sunday stage the Petrolex Kanu Cup 2018 in an effort to raise funds for the foundation. Nigeria’s trusted source for the best in sports and entertainment programming, Kwesé, has secured exclusive broadcast rights to provide live coverage of the game. The charity football match, which will take place at the Hive Stadium, London, pits Premier League Masters against African football legends.

FIBA WWC: D’Tigress Face Reigning Champions USA

Nigeria’s D’Tigress will have to be at their best as they take on reigning champions the USA in today’s quarterfinal game at the FIBA Basketball Women World Cup in Tenerife, Spain. While the US team finished top in group D to book a quarter-final place, Nigeria had to beat Greece 57-56 in a quarterfinal qualifier to a ticket. D’Tigress are definitely the underdogs in this game but with their performance so far at the championship, Nigerians are hopeful their darling team can upset the Americans.

Rohr Plots Libya’s Fall, Releases Eagles Squad List Next Week

Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr has started planning the strategies to beat Libya in the 2019 African Nations Cup qualifiers against the North Africans next month. The Eagles manager has already drawn his squad list for the double header, which will be released next week. Nigeria will host Libya in the first of the Cameroun 2019 double-header in Uyo on either October 12 or 13.

Tennis: Serena Williams Out Of China Open Draw

American great Serena Williams was left out of the China Open tennis draw on Friday (Sept 28) as reports said she’s called time on her season following her meltdown at the US Open. Williams’ name, along with that of her sister Venus, did not appear on a list of 64 players ahead of the tournament’s start on Saturday in Beijing. It comes less than three weeks after the tempestuous US Open final, where Williams accused the umpire of sexism in an angry rant during her 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Japan’s Naomi Osaka.

Luke Walton Says Lakers Will Rely On Lebron James In Clutch

Luke Walton is still installing and implementing his playbook. But the Los Angeles Lakers coach knows who he will be drawing up the majority of plays for at the end of games. For the first time since Kobe Bryant retired in 2016, the Lakers have a superstar to throw the ball to during close games in LeBron James. “When you get to the end of a game, that is what max players make max money for, that is what they do,” Walton said after the Lakers’ second day of practice with James. “I can comfortably say that LeBron will be our first option at the end of ballgames if it’s close.”

Timberwolves’ Asking Price Holding Up Jimmy Butler Trade

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ asking price to trade All-Star forward Jimmy Butler remains quality veterans, top prospects, future assets and salary-cap relief, which is presently too steep of a package for interested teams, league sources told ESPN. Throughout trade talks, Minnesota Timberwolves president and coach Tom Thibodeau has continued to try to recruit Butler to ease off his trade demand and return to practice with the team, league sources said. Butler has yet to attend a Timberwolves workout and wants to sit out until the franchise executes a trade for him.

Plane Ditches Into Lagoon, Passengers Swim For Their Lives

Passengers were forced to swim for their lives Friday when an airliner ditched into a lagoon after missing the runway on a remote Pacific island and began sinking. The Air Niugini Boeing 737-800 was attempting to land at Weno airport in Micronesia but ended up half submerged in Chuuk lagoon after the accident on Friday morning. Within minutes, locals scrambled a flotilla of small boats to pluck the 35 passengers and 12 crew from the water.

Once Key Clinton Questioner, Kavanaugh Under Cringeworthy Scrutiny

Twenty years ago a sitting US president, Bill Clinton, was ordered to answer a series of excruciating questions about his sexual relationship with a 22-year-old intern. Some of those questions were drafted by a young attorney named Brett Kavanaugh, who in a painfully awkward coincidence faced a similar onslaught of invasive queries Thursday from senators considering whether he should be confirmed to the US Supreme Court.